The Scarlet Scarf
by HammerHeart3
Summary: ON HOLD
1. To the Market

The Scarlet Scarf

**Okay so here's the first chapter, having high hopes for this FF!**

Chapter 1

_To the Market_

Princess Zabeya walked through the streets of Tushka, a large wealthy Egyptian city, which her father was Pharaoh of, ruling over a population of nearly fifty thousand. Several guards followed closely by her, making sure no one would cause the Princess trouble, which started to wear on Zabeya's patience greatly. Slowly, she made her way to a small bazaar, filled with merchants selling beautiful silken scarves and dresses of high quality.

"This one would suit me, would it not?" she asked one of her guards, as she draped a glittering red scarf over her arm. He looked at her for a moment and then nodded in agreement. Smiling, he then paid the merchant for the scarf and they made their way out of the tent and towards the livestock pens, which was where Zabeya spent her spare time, when she wasn't busy getting lectures from her father or having talks with the royal families, which Zabeya found quite dull and all their information was completely useless.

When they neared where the horses were kept, Zabeya grew excited as she saw a beautiful slivery stallion rear and pace nervously in the pen, not wanting to be contained by any fence nor wall.

"Do not disturb the horses!" yelled the grump of an old farmer, as he walked, or more of waddled, over to where Zabeya stood. He looked as if he were about to shoo her away, until he looked up and his expression melted from annoyance to fear. "Princess! I'm sorry, I knew not that it was you," he yelped and knelt before the concerned girl.

"Rise," she muttered, not appreciating the unbearable apologies of the common slave. He scrambled to his feet and looked expectantly.

"You should treat all your customers with respect and kindness, maybe then you will become more fruitful in your profits as a dealer of livestock." She hated how her voice sounded as she said it, but she knew she would get a lecture if she didn't give a civil lesson to a narrow-minded slave.

The farmer nodded and showed his half-toothed mouth in a poor attempt of a smile. Zabeya shuddered at the man's teeth and turned back to the horse. "Does he ride?" She asked, observing the horse with a certain gleam in her eye.

"Um... no... Not exactly," the slave replied, his voice hinted nervously and sounded rather squeaky. "Can he pull, or work even a plow?" she looked to him, but frowned when he shook his head.

The stallion reared and arched his muscular neck, as if demanding he be let go. Something about him felt familiar to Zabeya and a small tingle went up her spine.

"I'll take him," she finally decided and tossed a few gold coins to the man, he greedily grabbed them up and Zabeya shook her head at his poor manners. "Good day, Sir," she said and told her guards to place several leads on the horse and do whatever necessary to get the horse to the palace stables.

_A good distraction for Egypt's finest guards, _Zabeya thought deviously and while the men tied the ropes on the horses halter, she wrapped her scarf to cover her face and disappeared into the crowded streets of her city.

"Where to first?" Zabeya contemplated aloud as she walked a deserted street. She knew the city better than the palace, for ever since she was young after her mother had died, she had always snuck away from her guards to explore the far markets and shops.

Her mother had been a soft kindly elf, hailing from Lorien, far to the east of Tushka. One had to sail across the sea to reach Middle-Earth, a place Zabeya had never been, nor knew much about. But she had studied the history of elves in her library, back in the palace, and her mother told her stories of her kin and the other races, dwarves and hobbits.

Zabeya found hobbits queer, and yet she was quite compelled to learn more about the short, plant loving creatures with the furry toes.

She found herself fairly relatable to dwarves, stubborn and mistrusting, but she had an astonishing lack of hair on her back, face, stomach, and under arms, much to her relief.

It was like she was her very own race. She thought on it no longer, when suddenly she knew where to go. The traveller's market.

Hurrying quickly down the path, she wondered if she was ever to travel across the sea, but little did she know, that she would do more than just travel to Middle-Earth.

**Hope you liked it! Rate and review!**

**Until next time,**

**~HxH~**


	2. The Elf, the Stallion, and the Pharaoh

The Scarlet Scarf

**Wow! Already a couple of favorites! Heehee... The title! ;p Thanks you guys! Here you go! ;)**

Chapter Two

_The Elf, the Stallion, and the Pharaoh  
_

When she reached the Traveler's Market, Zabeya's eyes lit up with excitement as she rushed around, examining the foreign foods, books, weapons, dresses, and jewelry, her bare brown feet padding along the dirt roads. She smiled broadly when she came across a handsome Elf who was about her age, selling a equally handsome bow, with sapphires and flakes of gold imbedded in it's Malorn rod.

Picking the wooden bow up, she handled it with the utmost care as she ran her slender fingers along it, inspecting it for any blemish, finding none, she looked appreciatively to the Elf and gave him a seductive smile. "I love the quality of Malorn, but I know not of all the uses and what the trees look like."

He smiled and leaned forward in his chair. "The Malorn tree can only be found in Lorien and it's beauty is valued highly above it's many useable traits. It is strong, yet flexible, soft and very easily carved. Also, the tree can grow taller than your palaces and temples," he stated, as he gestured towards the palace. Zabeya noticed he was unusually tanned for an Elf, but she paid it no heed, she liked a man with a little color in his skin.

"The Elves of Lorien live in huge flets that are placed high in the trees, far from the forest floor, with spiraling staircases hugging the trunks, so that one may get to the flets easily. No Elf within Caras Galadhon sleeps on the floor, not even the Galadhrim, the fearless guardians of the forest. They protect the brilliant wildlife, such as elk, deer, and smaller mammals," he was happy that the young girl was interested in his rambling and went on.

Zabeya's mother had been beautiful and intellegent, sharing stories and legends aboyt her race with her only daughter. Oh how Zabeya missed her mother, her warm, loving touch, now all she had was her father, a man who was so invested in his political career that he might never understand the minds of women.

The soothing voice of the Elf across from her broke Zabeya out of her trance. "The Lord and Lady of Lorien, Celeborn and Galadriel are highly respected for their power and wisdom. The Lady is said to have a mirror, which grants her to power of foresight, which can be quite a danger, yet it can also be helpful. My father is a Galadhrim and I wish the follow in his footsteps, once I am finished selling my works," he said, patting a quiver stocked full of arrows.

Zabeya now felt that she had befriended this tanned Elf, she became sad to hear he was never to make weapons. "Well, I will miss you when you are gone, and I hope that I have earned the title of a friend," she said, smiling and handing him some gold coins, but he refused.

"You have paid me with your attention! I can ask no more than that. May we meet again, gwân elvellon." At his words he placed the delicately carved quiver and arrows on her back and handed the bow to her, brushing her fingers lightly, before Zabeya could say anymore, he was gone.

Something about the Elvish words he spoke to her made her giddy, she couldn't explain it, but she felt flushed and she knew she was blushing, but she didn't care.

She reached the familiar book shop, walked in and was greeted by the strange old woman who ran the shop.

"Good day, Princess!" she greeted her. "Good day," Zabeya replied politely. "I have some new romance novels in if you'd like to read them," she smiled, but Zabeya stopped her before she could fetch the books.

"What do you have for Elven culture and Elvish translation?" she asked, knowing she wouldn't get proper sleep until she knew more about the Elven half of her heritage.

The wrinkled old woman smiled to her and left, soon coming back, carrying two heavy large books and a medium sized one. "That'll be a pretty price, my dear," she hissed and snatched greedily when Zabeya handed her a few gold coins.

"Best get back to the palace before sundown, lectures are not exactly something I look forward to," she smilec and bid farewell to the book seller and started her way back to the palace.

"You ran away from your body guards?!" her father yelled, and she just rolled her eyes, _The_ _guards have a keen sense of exaggeration_, she though, frowning. "Please, father, I hardly ran away! The guards exaggerate," she said, shaking her head in annoyance, but her father didn't seem convinced by her words.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and though for a long moment, and with a flick of his wrist, he dismissed his daughter from the throne room, she bowed and then strode down the halls, navigating her way to her chambers.

Zabeya always loved the stables, and while they were not full, she still enjoyed the clomp of the many horses hooves against the stone paved ground.

The horses neighed and bickered, pawing impatiently at their gates, demanding to be fed, even though they had round bellies and were fed a good amount twice a day. "They shouldn't be restless, the stable boys should have rode them close to exhaustion so they would not rile while in their stalls," she stated, startling the stable guard, while he had been reclined, sleeping on a wooden chair.

"We couldn't ride the horses today, Princess. The crocidiles have been lurching out of the water to attack the unwary horses that stop to drink," he said, nomw standing up straight.

"Why not ride them away from the water?" She asked, curious for his next answer. "Jackals, miss. They've been very ferocious lately, hunger is getting the best of them," he informed her and she nodded then dismissed him.

She looked about the stable until she saw the silvery stallion, his coat gleamed with sweat as he pawed, reared and kicked, trying desperately to get out of his stall. A gleam of hatred was in his eyes and Zabeya nervously opened the latch to the gate, she warily stood away from the gate and opened it quickly.

The horse immedietly bolted out, stopping in the center of the small courtyard. The gleam in his eyes turned from hate to appreciation, he gave Zabeya a small nod then galloped away, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake as he set out across the desert.

Zabeya wondered then if she would ever taste freedom, or seize the reins and take control of her own life, she wondred if she would ever experience love, or if she would die an old, lonely queen.

These were the questions she often asked herself, but would she ever find the answers to them?

**Hope you liked it! I gave her a cute nickname! I'll tell you what it is in the next chapter. This story'll be updated once to twice a week. PLEASE review, I absolutely love feedback of any kind!**

**Until next time,**

**~HxH~ **


	3. The Prince Amenhotep

The Scarlet Scarf

**Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews and helpful feedback! Check out my DollDivine account: HammerHeart3 for images of my characters. Hope you enjoy this chapter! **

Chapter Three

_The Prince Amenhotep  
_

Zabeya slapped the reins against the horses back, willing it to go faster as she rode in the chariot behind, enjoying the wind rustling through her hair and the smell of the river to her right. Ever since her mother had died, she had taken up hunting, sparring, and horse riding, which she highly preferred over her father's usual palace parties, with all the royal families.

Crocodiles lined the banks and the top of hippo heads could be seen from her chariot, which would have unnerved any passerby, but not Zabeya, she had her eye on a lone gazelle buck, trotting across the terrain in the distance. As she neared, she drew her bow and reached into her quiver for an arrow, it was her first hunting trip with the new bow. Steadily, she pulled back the string and let out a breath and closed her eyes, calming herself and slowing her heartbeat, not wanting any distractions.

Her eyes shot open and she released at the same time, marveling at her shot as the animal was struck and stumbled, calling for help and then landing hard on the dusty ground. When Zabeya neared the animal it struggled to get away, but it couldn't get to it's feet, for her arrow was pierced deep in his left shoulder.

After the buck had died, Zabeya ripped out her arrow, tied it's four legs together, and tossed it in the chariot with her. His head would make a pretty trophy in the palace, for the animal was fairly large and his antlers were long, and when they were shined and sharpened they would be a prized spectacle, earning her marveled looks at all the parties she was forced to attend.

~HxH~

When Zabeya was back in the palace, she was given a message from her father. The maid servant handed her the note, absently thanking her, Zabeya opened the note, not noticing the servant bowing and walking away.

Everything in your room is prepared, love. Wear your best dress and try to act respectable. The note ended and she tucked in away in the folds of her riding tunic. "What is that supposed to mean?!" She exclaimed and swiftly exited the circular courtyard and headed down a side hall, leading to her room.

Once she reached her door, she flung it open and walked inside, seeing a gold and blue dress laid on her bed. It was beautiful, Zabeya had to admit, but she didn't like it on her as her hand maid helped her into the dress.

It flowed out at the bottom and exposed her legs from the knees down, but under the golden, sleeveless fabric, she wore a see through blue dress, which covered her legs, but still made them visible.

She frowned as her maid attached a deep blue, satin belt to her waist, which had gold fixtures that had sapphires hanging from them. Beautiful blue gems were set into a golden necklace and her ring was a flower made out of silver, painted blue with a golden nugget in the center.

All of it was too much for Zabeya and it weighed her down. She had to give it all her power not to fall on her face during the party.

After she had gotten to her room, her maid explained to her that there was to be a grand party that evening and that some Prince of importance was to attend.

Frankly, Zabeya didn't care much about royals, they were all dull and made her feel like a child when they talked to her. She had always tried her best not to punch one of them in the face, but it was very difficult.

While her maid was lacing up the back of her dress, Zabeya noticed the Elven book on her vanity and picked it up quickly. She flipped absently through the pages until she came across the words she had been looking for.

"Gwân elvellon," Zabeya muttered and looked for the translation. "Hm?" her hand maid asked, wondering what her mistress had said. "Oh nothing. Just practicing my diplomatic languages," she lied, frowning as she flipped pages. Her brow was furrowed in frustration until she found it. "Gwân elvellon; Fair Elf-friend," she said quietly and pressed the book against her chest._ The most beautiful thing anyone has ever said to me, _she thought as she held the book tight.

_Why had she let him leave?! _She scolded herself and hoped he would be at the market the following day, she just had to see him again, whether he wanted to see her or not, but she quietly hoped he would be happy to see her.

~HxH~

When Zabeya walked into the main hall, also called the throne room or in this case, the party hall, she saw women dancing with scarves around the fountain, everyone was clad in gold and copper, much to her annoyance. She slowly walked in, hoping the loud music would mask her entrance and no one would notice her appearance, wearing, as she feared, the most beautiful dress in the room.

As she neared, she got a glimpse of her father speaking with some Prince of sorts and someone who looked like the Prince's father. "Good evening, gentlemen," Zabeya greeted, trying to shake off the fact that her father had picked a dress to match the Prince's tunic perfectly. "Zabeya meet Prince Amenhotep II and his father Thutmose III, Lords of Cairo. Gentlemen, meet my daughter, Princess Zabeya." Her father introduced them formally and stepped back a little.

"Princess Zabeya," Amenhotep replied stupidly, taking her hand and giving it a kiss, which felt awkward and not at all satisfying to it's receiver. Zabeya tried to hide her cringe, but not very well, since she got a death glare from her father and he nodded his head towards the Prince, telling her to be polite. "Ah, Prince Amenhotep, it is a great honor to meet the Prince of Cairo," she smiled, though it was fake and turned to his Father. "And an even greater honor to be acquainted with Lord Thutmose!" she said, actually meaning it for his Father, she already disliked the Prince, he seemed arrogant and spoiled, which he was.

"A great beauty," Thutmose replied, "and very polite." He smiled to Zabeya and she gave him her best smile back, not wanting to hurt her father's feelings. "Come Thutmose, let us enjoy the evening my the fountain," her father said, much to her annoyance, while he left her by herself with the Prince. "A great beauty indeed," Amenhotep stated, surveying her womanly appearance and smirking. It almost scared Zabeya the way he looked at her, that was a way of looking at your wife, not your Father's diplomatic acquaintance's daughter.

"Shall we take a walk around the room," she asked, grabbing a glass of wine off a tray and handing it to him, hoping he would get drunk and she could walk away from him, without seeming rude. "Of course, Princess," he replied a little too eagerly and quickly downed the glass full of the sweet red liquid.

~HxH~

Zabeya had made quick work of getting the Prince drunk, and discarding of him, quite easily actually. All she had to do was pay a dancer to be sweet to him and dance for him, that sure got his attention. As she walked back to her room, she laughed to herself. _I can be quite the trickster at times, can't I_, she thought, closing her door behind her and immediately taking off her dress, it had begun to get very uncomfortable and she wished to have it on no longer.

A loud purr came from her bed and Zabeya turned to see Nadine, her large pet Jaguar, stretched out on her bed, chewing on the bed frame as if it were an animal bone. "Nadine!" Zabeya exclaimed and the cat opened her eyes sleepily, she purred and jumped off the bed, stretching.

Nadine walked over to her master and rubbed up against her bare legs, almost knocking Zabeya over. The Princess laughed and pet her cat lovingly on the head. "Go to sleep, Nadine, I'm already exhausted."

**There we are, getting the ball rolling! Hope you like the whole Elf nickname thing! Sweet! ;)  
**

**Until next time,**

**~HxH~**


	4. The Fast and the Flirtatious

The Scarlet Scarf

**Heya! How are you liking it so far? Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I'm starting school today, so updates won't be as frequent, but they'll still come. Just remember even if you're not a member you can still post a review! The more reviews I get the faster I can update!**

_The Fast and the Flirtatious_

What was better than some chariot racing? Zabeya went to the old arena at least once a week, it was an addiction and it could only be quelled by the speed of her chariot and the glorious feeling of winning. Not to mention all the extra money she had won from previous races.

Earlier that day, Zabeya had seen her Elven friend, he introduced himself as Anduil, and Zabeya immediately spent the day with him, exploring the markets and gardens of the city, all the while, Anduil had no idea that he was spending the day with the Princess of Egypt. That evening, they met again, outside an old abandoned arena, which looked as though it might collapse in on itself.

Racing chariots was illegal if guards and royals weren't present and it wasn't exactly safe which was why it was outlawed in the first place, much to Zabeya's dismay. She always kept her face draped over with a piece of a cloth, only exposing her eyes, which she thought gave her an air mystery, but also necessary since no one must know that the princess was breaking her father's laws.

As she neared the arena, she saw him leaning up against the side, smiling when he saw her coming, but quickly looking worried when he saw Nadine. The large cat growled at the stranger, but Zabeya quickly hushed her. "Come on," she told her friend, walking up to the arena. As soon as they stepped in, people cheered loudly and the roar of the crowd almost matched the sounds of the chariots going around the dusty track.

Horses panted in anticipation, loving the race as much as the chariot drivers. Zabeya smiled and people pat her on the back and smiled as she walked by, everyone cleared a path for her as she and Anduil walked calmly through the crowd.

"How is she?" Zabeya asked a young boy, no more than the age of fifteen, working on a gold and copper chariot. "I have equipped her with spiked wheels and wheel rotation," he said, turning a wheel inside the chariot, which was swiveling the wheels. Zabeya loved it, she could turn better and faster.

"Good job, Hos," she smiled and handed the boy the reins to her horse, motioning for him to hook the chariot to the horse. Nadine growled and stayed in the chariot stall, guarding the weapons and supplies for extra chariots, they took no precautions.

Zabeya motioned for Anduil to follow her and he quickly complied, curious to see more of what went on. A loud voice quickly silenced the rowdy audience. The competitors walked to the center of the arena, where a large podium stood and a man sitting in a large chair was awaiting the contestants. So far in the middle was Zabeya, Anduil, and a young boy, who didn't know what he was in for.

"Does anyone dare challenge the mighty Crocodile?" the loud voiced man asked the crowd and the potential racers. No one stepped up yet, until there was a stirring in the far corner and a woman stepped out, her face also masked._ Strange, _thought Zabeya, thinking she was the only one with her face to hide.

"I dare challenge!" she yelled and walked to the center. "Wagers," the man shouted and motioned to the podium. Zabeya stepped forward and shoved a huge diamond, gold and sapphire necklace onto the podium and waited for the other girl, she walked forward and placed a heavy emerald and gold ring on the podium, declaring the time for a race.

"Let the race begin!" the man bellowed, smashing a glass bottle against the arm of his chair and laughing loudly.

Zabeya smiled wickedly at the sour looking woman beside her chariot, knowing full well she was going to win, and destroy any woman's chariot who tried to enter _her _race. The woman only made a face of annoyance and then waited for the race to start.

Anduil stood next to Zabeya's chariot and smiled at her, patting her horse on his flank. "That poor boy," he said, nodding towards the terrified looking boy across from him. Laughing, Zabeya balled her fist up, and grabbing the fabric of his tunic and briefly lifting the cloth on her face, she planted a strong, yet sweet kiss on his lips. He jerked in reaction, but soon smiled into it, yet still feeling awkward, not knowing to do with his arms so he simply sort of slapped his sides and waited for Zabeya to stop.

It was impulsive and might have even been offensive, but Zabeya didn't care all that much, it was risk she was willing to take, and she realized it was worth taking as soon as she pressed herself on him. His lips were soft and sweet, and as she kissed him, Zabeya didn't feel at all shy or awkward, with so many people watching. The crowd cheered loudly in response.

The kiss had only lasted a few seconds, but it felt like forever for Anduil and it felt like nothing for Zabeya, and as she reluctantly pulled away, she was partially disappointed by his expression, he looked to stunned and almost like a scared jackrabbit, ready to bolt at any second if given the opportunity. "Wh- wh-at... Was that... Um... For?" he stammered, this time looking a little more pleased than just afraid.

"Good luck. Gwân elvellon," Zabeya answered simply and chuckled at his surprised and slightly embarrassed expression. The man sounded the race to start, and now she was centered in, ready to win and do nothing else, as she carefully maneuvered her horse around the dusty track, she saw the young boy fall back immediately, but the masked woman was close on her heels.

In an effort to lose the woman, Zabeya let her horse take control and she drew her sword, rearing back to strike the the woman's wheels, but her horse hit a bump and she was knocked against the front of the chariot, jarring her back and making her wince in pain. She saw the wicked expression of the woman behind her and felt anger rise in her.

She reined back her horse until her and the woman were side by side. Zabeya yelled and drew her sword and struck out at the woman, but she dodged out of the way, which made her falter, but she didn't fall, she remained on her feet and tried to strike at Zabeya, but the Princess swooped out of the way and deflected every blow, but her horse spooked and while Zabeya was trying to maintain the horse from spilling the chariot, the woman punched her opponent in the jaw, making Zabeya fall against the short wall of her own chariot.

The wheel was deathly close to her face and she tried to regain her position, but she felt a hand push against the back of her head. "Such a shame to ruin that pretty face," she hissed as she pushed her head close to the wheel. Zabeya tried to reach out for the reins, which dangled from the side. "Too bad you'll never get that second kiss," she muttered and pushed Zabeya's face onto the wheel, scraping the flesh on her cheek, but she reached out and yanked the reins towards the woman's chariot and the spikes tore into the opposing chariot's wheels.

Quickly standing, Zabeya watched the woman's chariot spill and her horse dragged the empty chariot behind him, frightened half to death by the experience. The woman stood and started walking purposefully towards Zabeya after she had crossed the finish line. "You!" she yelled and reached Zabeya, fuming and the Princess could have sworn she saw smoke coming out of her nose and ears.

Zabeya reared back and punched the woman square in the nose, making her fall back and land hard on the dusty ground. Swiping her forearm across her cheek, she spit on the woman's feet. "Bitch," she muttered and limped to the podium, snatching up her new jewelry and walking back towards Anduil. He looked overly concerned and gently touched her cheek when she neared him. "I'll be fine, I just need to heal up that's all," she forced a smile, but he wasn't convinced. Grabbing her lightly by the shoulders, he helped her out of the arena and Nadine followed closely behind them.

When they reached the city walls, Zabeya bid Anduil and goodnight and started the climb the wall, but a hand that grasped her own stopped her. Anduil placed his hands around her waist and set her gently back on the ground. "Gwân elvellon," he said, brushing a strand of hair out of her face and ripping off the mask that covered her face. Before Zabeya could say anything, his lips crashed into her own, making her knees suddenly very weak.

It was a good thing that he held tight to her waist, or else she would have fallen in the dust. She grasped his face in her hands and returned his kiss. He pulled away and Zabeya had to suppress a disappointed groan from leaving her. But he still held her waist in his strong, slender hands. "Good night, Gwân perehdel," he smiled and hoisted her up onto the wall, pushing up on her soft feet.

Nadine jumped onto the wall next to her master and gently rubbed on her, hoping to ease some of her master's pain. "Good night," she said meaningfully and dismounted on the other side of the wall, disappearing from sight.

~HxH~

When she returned to the palace, she covered the nasty scrape on her cheek with a healing salve and slipped her new ring onto her finger. She smiled as she laid down on her bed, not bothering to change out of her dusty clothing. Nadine curled up and the end of her large bed and purred softly.

Zabeya felt wonderful.

**Okay! So how did you like it? The title still makes me laugh! Rate and Review! **

**Until next Time,**

**~HxH~**


	5. Farewell for now (to the readers)

**Okay guys, sorry to inform you, but I'm going to have to put this Fic on hold for a little while. **

**I'm busy with school and trying to write other fictions! I'll continue to write this one, but don't expect another update for maybe a month and a half. **

**Sorry about this delay, but I'll give you a sneak peek...**

**Zabeya becomes a queen and the white stallion comes back to help her... **

**Who is Anduil? What will become of the ghastly prince Amenhotep? Will Zabeya find the land of her ancestors? **

**All things will be revealed in later chapters! **

**Good things come to those who are patient. In other words, I will give faithful readers what thy ask for! **

**I hope I haven't disappointed you too much. I love you all and wish you well in life! **

**Until next time,**

**Much Love ~HxH~ **


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